


That's Why I Love the Fall

by idmakeitbehave



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Birthday Surprises, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, M/M, everything fall and fluff and mush!!!!, that's it that's the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idmakeitbehave/pseuds/idmakeitbehave
Summary: You surprise Spencer with a birthday trip to his favorite place to celebrate his favorite holiday. (You're not quite sure how he could pick a favorite place having never been there, but you are more than happy to change that)His favorite holiday may be Halloween, but yours is probably his birthday.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 127





	That's Why I Love the Fall

Spencer is a difficult man to surprise.

He just knows too much about… well, about _everything._ The two of you had been together for so long- more than two years dating and _many_ before that as best friends- that he could read you like a book. Luckily, you had some tricks up your sleeve.

Just a few.

Spencer was in the living room, probably curled up with a book he had already read at least a hundred times. It didn’t matter as long as he was distracted. You just needed a few more minutes-

“Y/N!” His voice carried down the hallway, and you could practically hear the smile in it.

So close.

You set down your suitcase with an amused sigh, skipping into the living room. “Yes, angel face?”

He let out a tiny snort at the nickname, beaming at you. “Did you know that the state of Illinois has more than 15,000 acres dedicated solely to growing gourds? Mainly pumpkins. They produce almost-” He caught your eye, spotting how you were shifting from foot to foot as he spoke. “Bookmark?”

“Bookmark,” you affirmed with a nod. “I just need to finish one thing.”

It had started years ago, this whole bookmark business. It was one of your favorite things about the two of you, just one example of how you worked so well together. Whenever Spencer had something to tell you, usually a fun fact or random statistic, but you had something you needed to do, you would bookmark it until later. Until you could give him your full attention.

It had become second nature to the two of you, but you always noticed the little looks your friends would give you when you did it. Near heart-eyes, long before you were even dating. You supposed it had been a long time coming with years of the team waiting for you and Spencer to get together- some lighthearted teasing and elbowing was well warranted.

You finished packing, double-checking that you hadn’t forgotten anything before dragging the suitcases down the hall. When you set them down with a thud, Spencer glanced up from his book. “What’s this?”

“What’s the date?” you asked in return, hand on your hip.

He smirked at you before pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. “Am I your human calendar?”

“You’re my human everything.” You sank down onto the couch beside him, wrapping your arms around his waist. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

“October 26th,” he said.

“And how many days until we have to be back at work?”

He sighed, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “Three days, dear.”

Ah yes, the elusive three day weekend. They came around so rarely, especially in your line of work. And you were not going to let these mandated three days off go wasted.

“Mhm. And it just so happens that it lines up with the birth of my most favorite person on the planet.”

He eyed you warily, one eyebrow raised. “I can see the cogs turning in your pretty little head. What do you have planned?”

You waggled your own eyebrows in response. “Spoilers, Spence. Spoilers.”

Despite his protests, he could only get a few tiny details out of you. Just enough to prepare him for the long car ride ahead and to double check that you had packed everything he would need.

You had. He should have expected as much.

The first surprise was waiting outside of your apartment, cherry red exterior gleaming in the sun. Spencer watched you walk up to the car and pop open the trunk. His mouth dropped, his eyes darting between you and the vehicle.

“This is- what’s this?” he asked, his voice a slightly higher pitch than normal.

You rolled your eyes with a grin. “I thought you were supposed to be a genius. It’s a car.”

He shook his head. “It’s a _convertible!”_

“Still a car. Don’t worry, it’s my mom’s. She’s letting me borrow it for the weekend.”

That did little to assuage him, and he continued to ramble about the dangers of convertibles well after you were on the road.

“Actually,” you interjected, “crash statistics have found that there are no added risks for convertibles.”

Spencer simply blinked at you. “God, I love you so much.”

“I love you too, doofus. Now just relax. Smell that?” you sniffed over-dramatically. “That’s fresh fall air. Straight from nature. Enjoy it.”

He grumbled, sinking back into his seat, but he couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at his lips.

There was a seven hour drive ahead of you, but you couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the day. The open road, the fresh air, the love of your life beside you? There was nothing better. The playlist you had made played lowly in the background as you chatted, asking him about the fact that you had bookmarked earlier.

You refused to tell him where you were going. It irked the hell out of him and you knew it, but he would go anywhere with you. He had long ago accepted that fact.

Anywhere, as long as it was with you.

Two quick stops for lunch, coffee, and a little stretch later, you turned on your signal for the next exit. Spencer, ever the thinker, saw the exit number and began to run through his mental map of where exactly you could be headed towards. One place in particular struck him. He turned to you with wide eyes.

“Y/N,” he started, his voice quiet. “Are we- are we going…”

You let out a laugh at the way his voice had trailed off, the tentative hope almost tangible. He had taken longer than you had anticipated to make a guess, but you knew what he was thinking without even saying it.

The expectant way he watched you made all of your determination to keep it a surprise crumble. “Yeah, sweetheart. We’re going to Salem.”

Spencer’s eyes lit up as he let out a childlike squeal, jumping up in his seat. “You’re kidding me! Wait... you better not be kidding me.”

“Spence,” you laughed. “First of all, I know better than to joke about something like this. This is a very serious matter. Secondly, why did you think I packed all of your Halloween themed clothing?”

The rest of the ride flew by, filled with Spencer’s stream of facts about Salem and Halloween. He told you anything and everything he could, gesticulating wildly as he spoke. The excitement in his voice and the beaming grin on his face made it all worth it.

He made everything worth it.

Ѽ 

You eventually pulled into a driveway and his chatter stopped. He peered up at the baby blue house with white trim, taking in the quaint little porch lined with flower pots and wind-chimes.

“Welcome!” you said with a flourish, waving towards the house.

Spencer turned to gape at you. “We’re- we’re staying here?”

“Yeah, genius. It was either this bed and breakfast or a Motel 6. Figured you wouldn’t want to stay somewhere so germ-infested.” You glanced at him, smirking. “Or should I cancel our reservations? I’m sure they have a nice mystery-stained blanket waiting for us at the 6.”

He elbowed you in the side lightly before pressing a kiss to your cheek. “You’re so rude. And this is absolutely perfect.”

“You love me anyway,” you shot back with a laugh. “Are you going to help me with our bags or no?”

It was late by the time the two of you had settled in, but there was no way you weren’t going out to explore. You pulled on one of your favorite sweaters- the one dotted with bats - and watched Spencer as he got dressed. You couldn’t help it, your eyes were drawn to him. He was just the most beautiful person you had ever seen.

He pulled on his pants and mismatched socks- one with pumpkins, the other spiders - and you snuck up behind him, looping your arms around his bare waist.

“Y/N,” he whined. “I need to pick out my sweater.”

You shushed him before pressing a kiss to his shoulder. Your fingers ran up his side, tickling him lightly. He twisted in your grasp, letting out a squeak. “Y/N-” he started again, cut off when you pulled him towards you, your lips meeting his. His hands instinctively moved to hold the sides of your face, your own hands lacing through his curls.

You laughed into the kiss before pulling away, pecking his nose for good measure. “Sorry,” you said breathlessly. “I’m just kind of obsessed with you.”

“Nauseating,” Spencer retorted, but his eyes told another story. He leaned in, kissing your lips lightly. “Good thing I’m kind of obsessed with you too.”

You finally unattached yourself from him, allowing him to finish dressing before heading out.

The two of you headed towards town hand in hand, admiring the decorated houses and foliage lit up by the streetlights. The town buzzed quietly even at night, tourists and locals alike wandering around, enjoying the various sights, and dining on late dinners.

“Birthday boy picks the food.”

That, of course, led to you and Spencer having waffles for dinner. Fancy waffles, but waffles nonetheless. You couldn’t help but laugh as you watched Spencer dig into his food. He scooped up a forkful, complete with speculoos and banana, shoving it into his mouth gracelessly.

“What?” he asked, his words muffled.

“You’re the cutest person I’ve ever seen,” you said simply before taking a bite of your own waffle.

Spencer chuckled and shook his head, but he couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the night. He had long ago given up on arguing with you whenever you said something like that. You were stubborn. It was just one more item on his list of things he loved about you.

He was fairly certain that that list was endless.

After a little more wandering, it was well past your bedtime.

“Come on.” You took Spencer’s hand, pulling him away from the pumpkins he had been admiring. “We’re gonna see all this and more tomorrow. Don’t forget, you have the best tour guide ever at your disposal.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “But _only_ because you’re the best.”

“Damn straight.”

The two of you made your way back to the little bed and breakfast, talking and laughing all the way. You soon found yourselves in bed, tangled together. Your head rested on Spencer’s shoulder, your hand on his chest. All was quiet, the room full of nothing but the sound of your breathing. You watched your hand, watched how it rose and fell with each soft breath.

This. This was all you needed.

“Happy birthday, baby,” you whispered into the dark.

Spencer snuggled closer to you, his thumb tracing your jaw. “It’s not my birthday for another twenty-two hours and thirteen minutes.”

“Shut up, smartass,” you giggled before kissing his collarbone. “Just let me shower you with my undying love and affection.”

“This is why Morgan gives you such a hard time.”

You sat up at that, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. “ _No_ , he gives me such a hard time because he _wishes_ he could be half the badass that I am.”

Spencer let out a chuckle and pulled you back down towards him. “Whatever you say, angel.”

“That’s more like it.”

Ѽ 

The next two days were full of museums and pumpkins and cute little shops and everything else imaginable. You even convinced Spencer to go on a sailboat with you. A _sailboat_. He held your hand the entire time, torn between yelping in fear every time the boat turned and cooing in awe as he peered out at the water.

Your camera roll was _full_ of photos of him despite his best efforts to stay away from the camera. You wouldn’t let him get away so easily.

Later, when Spencer was busy reading each and every single gravestone in the cemetery, you ran into a nearby shop. There was just one more thing that you had in mind. The _perfect_ thing.

You came bounding back a few minutes later, practically skipping down the dirt path with your gift in hand.

Spencer squeaked in surprise when you snaked your arms around him. As he turned to face you, you plunked one of the hats you had purchased on his head. A wizard’s hat. Before he even had time to respond, you pulled the second one, a witch’s hat, onto your own head.

His eyes flickered from his hat to yours before breaking into a wide smile. It was the type of grin he couldn’t get rid of if he wanted to, the type that just felt like it was made to be on his face. Like he was made to be with you.

You made a mental note to commit the look on his face to memory.

“Fitting, right?” you finally asked. “I’m definitely a witch and you are most _certainly_ a wizard.”

The laugh he let out rang through the tiny cemetery, filling your very soul with the joy of it. “As long as you’re _my_ witch.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist, snuggling into him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The final cherry on top was just one more treat. A donut. A chocolate frosted, rainbow sprinkled donut. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary. But to Spencer? It was everything.

You smacked his hand away when he reached for it, earning a defeated _ow_ from him. “Wait.” There was a pause as you fished around your bag, smiling as you pulled out a candle and a lighter.

His witty retort died in the back of his throat as he watched you stick the candle into the donut. You fumbled with the lighter for a moment, cheering when the flame finally caught.

Maybe Spencer should have been embarrassed by this little public display. Maybe years ago, years before he knew you, he would have been. But now? He couldn’t stop grinning. The two of you sat on a little park bench, ridiculous hats perched on your heads as you sang Happy Birthday to him, your voice endearingly off-key.

Spencer had never been happier than in this moment.

After some thought, he took it back. He had never been happier than _every_ moment with you.

How had he gotten so lucky?

You giggled as he blew out the candle, refusing to tell you what he had wished for.

In truth, he hadn’t wished for anything. He had everything he needed.

Spencer watched as you nibbled on your own donut, grinning like a fool when you plopped a dollop of frosting onto his nose.

Everything.

Ѽ

The rest of the weekend passed by _much_ more quickly than you would like, but it was everything.

You had long ago decided that _Spencer_ was everything. The two of you were just in sync like that.

Always had been, always would be.

You and Spencer stretched out the car ride back to your house as long as you could, taking as many breaks as you could justify. Just to grab a snack, get a coffee, take a walk. Anything to prolong this. This perfect weekend. Just you and him.

There would never be quite enough time, but you would take every moment you could get.

After arriving home, the exhaustion of your little trip hit you. You found yourself on the couch with Spencer, your legs tangled together. His wizard’s hat sat on his head, your witch’s one cast to the side.

You reached your hand up, absentmindedly tugging on his curls. Your hand hit the hat and you laughed before knocking it onto the floor. Spencer grumbled, but he pulled you closer to him anyway.

“Thank you,” Spencer said softly. “For the best birthday ever.”

“Oh yeah, you think that was good? Just wait til next year.” You pressed a kiss to his cheek. “And the year after that.” One to his forehead. “And the year after that.” His nose. “And the year after that.” His neck. “And the year after that.” His collarbone. “And _all_ of the years after that.” One last kiss, right to his stomach, your fingers tickling his sides. You grinned up at him as he giggled, his fingers carding through your hair.

Every birthday. You were going to be there for every birthday. You had never meant anything more.

You pulled yourself up, resting your cheek on Spencer’s chest. He played with your hair mindlessly before pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“You, my dear,” he turned your face towards him, brushing your lips with his, “are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

He tugged you closer to him, his fingers gripping the hem of your sweater. You let out a laugh before crawling into his lap, kissing him hungrily, your hands never once leaving him. All you wanted was this, this forever. Kissing him- the most beautiful, kind hearted, exquisite person you had ever had the privilege of knowing. If you could just kiss him forever, you would need nothing more.

“Wait,” you took a breath, pulling away despite the low whine that left his lips. “Did Mister 187 just quote old school Taylor Swift?”

“Shut up,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. “Let me have this.”

You grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him back towards you with a mischievous grin. The two of you tumbled backwards onto the couch. He hovered just above you, his eyes searching yours.

“I love you,” you said softly. “More and more every single day.”

“Even when I quote Taylor Swift?” he retorted with a smirk, only able to keep up the act for a split second. A bright smile spread across his face and he leaned in, kissing you once more. “I love you too. Thank you for everything. Thank you,” he pecked your nose, “for being you.”

“Anything for you, birthday boy. _Everything_ for you.”


End file.
